Vasquez: Nets are relevant but behind on five-year plan

On May 4, the Nets were outplayed on their home court against the comically undermanned Chicago Bulls. In the aftermath, they were shamed by national pundits. The fan base was incensed by an opportunity missed.

Today, since the emotions are less raw, we can all sit back, and take stock with a level head. After all, just 13 months ago they were a lame duck New Jersey team that nobody cared about. Now, people are talking about them, and the Nets are winning more games than they’re losing. Relevancy! Isn’t that good enough?

Well, those who have been listening to owner Mikhail Prokhorov for the last few years should have come to expect something much bigger than mere relevancy.

In May of 2010, when Prokhorov took ownership, he promised a championship within five years. Three years later, let’s take stock of where the Nets stand.

* Coaching: The Nets don’t have one. They fired Avery Johnson during a December swoon, weeks after he won Eastern Conference Coach of the Month honors, and interim coach P.J. Carlesimo after he led them to the fastest start under any coach in team history. Good luck to the next guy!

* Roster: Things are much-improved, with a core of Deron Williams, Joe Johnson and Brook Lopez. There’s some question about their compatibility together, and while they’ll surely build more chemistry in the coming years, Williams (29 next month) and Johnson (32 next month) aren’t exactly young.

* Flexibility: The Nets basically have none. They are capped out, and have, basically no tradeable assets outside of their stars.

* Competition: The Nets couldn’t even beat the Bulls without former MVP Derrick Rose, who’s supposed return healthy next year. So we’re not exactly loving their odds against LeBron James and the Heat in the years to come.

Prokhorov talks a big game (when he actually talks; he hasn’t spoken with reporters since Johnson was canned), but the reality is simple. The five-year plan is in deep trouble. Unless Prokhorov was talking about an Atlantic Division championship, which is no gimme, either. The Knicks got closer to an actual championship than the Nets this year.